Take Me To The Bridge


Isn't this just a fantastic photo? I did a little sleuthing to figure out just what bridge is under construction, and I have it narrowed down to the George Washington and the Mid-Hudson. I can't decide - perhaps there's someone out there who can tell us for sure.

Found in "O'Malley of Shanganagh" by Donn Byrne. Published by The Century Co., 1925.

-Click to enlarge photos-

6 comments:

  1. I'm not great with stuff like this, but I just stared at many Google images of both bridges. I'm going to say it's the GW due to the landscape on the left bank. I wasn't getting too many similar angled pictures, but it looks closer to the way the land is shaped on what I'm taking to be the Jersey side of the GW.

    I tried looking up the Hudson River Night Line because I saw it on that sign, but wasn't getting much help. I thought maybe if I could find something good on that, they'd tell me if they had stops at one or both bridges, or something like that.

    Hope I'm right :)

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  2. The Mid-Hudson seems to have it's towers out in the water and this one doesn't. See http://www.nysba.ny.gov/Index%20Page/MHBPhotoArchive.html
    In particular, 11 rows down, 2nd from right.

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  3. Yes, judging by this picture with the white structure behind the tower holding the cables, and the fact that the tower is on land, I would say it is The GW bridge.

    http://www.portauthorityarchive.com/shop/bridges-tunnels/george-washington-bridge-under-construction-aerial-print

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  4. I got absorbed in this mystery puzzle too (via Alex Belth's reblog at Bronx Banter.)

    The problem with the GW theory is that the book was published in 1925, and the George Washington Bridge didn't even break ground until 1927!

    Could the book publication date be wrong? There was definitely a Hudson River Night Line running from the upper west side of Manhattan, says here.

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  5. Crito, in my experience the date of the book doesn't matter at all. The may have bought the book in a secondhand shop ten years after it was published - I once found a Bernie Williams card in an old Dickens book from the 1800s

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  6. Oh, what a dummy. Paying no attention at all to the name of your blog(!!!), I thought you meant the picture was published in the book.

    Another Bronx Banterer pointed out that if it were the Mid-Hudson, the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge would be visible in the background, so that confirms the GW identification.

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